


A Normal Haunting

by orphan_account



Series: SPIRIT [2]
Category: Coraline (2009), Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: AU, Ah tags!, Car rides, Cuteness (sort of), Dipper is a terrible driver, M/M, Possession, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 08:18:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3684963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Parapines AU: It was supposed to be a normal haunting. (And Dipper realizes how weird his life is when the words 'normal' and 'haunting' can be used in the same sentence.) Possessed Norman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gravity Falls, ParaNorman, or Coraline. It would be obvious if I did.**

**Main Pairing: Norman/Dipper (Parapines)**

**Warnings: Slash, Swearing, Attempted Rape, Possession**

**AN: I am so obsessed with Parapines that it's not even funny anymore. The Feels, man. The Feels. (It deserves capitalization)**

On the Road

It was supposed to be a normal haunting. (And Dipper realizes how weird his life is when the words 'normal' and 'haunting' can be used in the same sentence.) SPIRIT had been called to an old house with the classic reputation in Georgia: go in, never be seen again, blah, blah, blah… Dipper had gotten an email from the owner, Mark Sharpe, begging the team for help. Though they weren't well-known, all their previous customers wrote satisfied, glowing reviews all over the Internet. Slowly, they were making a name for themselves.

Dipper shifted in his seat, chin cradled in his hand as he stared out the passenger window. Coraline and Mabel slept in the back, while Norman drove.

In Mr. Sharpe's email he gave the house's basic history and some experiences people had. Eric and Benjamin Johnson's deaths stuck out to Dipper the most, which both occurred in the early 1800's. Apparently, Eric Johnson died from head trauma after falling down the main staircase. At least, that was what formal records said. Rumors of his son, Benjamin, pushing him down the stairs ran rampant in the town. According to those, Eric tried to hit Benjamin and the boy lashed out in self-defense. No one was sure though, because Ben died of tuberculosis soon after in the same house.

As for ghostly experiences, most reported flickering lights, moving objects, disembodied voices, and other harmless acts. This lead Dipper to believe fourteen year old Ben was the one who haunted the house. This particular haunting seemed almost child-like, and no other kid died there.

Still, Dipper couldn't figure out why Mr. Sharpe sounded so desperate on the phone. If what Dipper believed was true then why would Sharpe seem so afraid?

The sound of the tuning radio brought Dipper back to reality. He blinked and turned to look at Norman, who seemed to be having trouble staying awake. He nudged his boyfriend. "You doin' okay? Want me to take over?"

Norman yawned so hugely it appeared painful. "Nah, I'm fine. We're almost there anyway."

Dipper glanced at the dashboard cock and raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Norm, we still got about three hours to go. That's not 'almost there'." They were driving to Newmen, Georgia because it was cheaper than flying, but they'd been on the road for about two days now. So far, Dipper hadn't driven once.

Norman shrugged and fought another yawn. "Really, Dip, I'm good. Just sleep some more and we'll be there soon enough."

"Norman, I'm not tired. Unlike someone I could mention right now. Just hand over the wheel."

"No."

"Why are you being so stubborn? Yes."

"No."

"You never let me drive. Do you not trust me? Is that it? Or is it a pride thing?"

"Neither," Norman sighed, smiling at Dipper tiredly. "Just...you're not driving."

"Oh, come on, Norman!" Dipper crossed his lanky arms over his chest and glared at his unmoved boyfriend. "I have a license!" He couldn't understand why Norman refused to let him drive - he was twenty two and passed his driver's test, what else was left? Still, Dipper hadn't driven much of anywhere when Norman was in the car with him.

Norman kept his blue eyes focused on the road. "I know you do." He glanced at Dipper in the corner of his eye, and nearly snickered when he saw Dipper's pout that he'd no doubt deny. He added under his breath, "It's how you actually got it that's beyond me."

"If you know then why won't you let me drive?" Dipper wasn't whining. He wasn't.

Norman's hands tightened around the steering wheel, avoiding Dipper's gaze. "Um...well, you know I love you, but-"

Coraline suddenly sat up in the back seat, yawning. "Dipper, you're a terrible driver. You're welcome, Norman." She set her chin on the passenger seat, blatantly ignoring Dipper's scandalized look. Her lopsided, blue bob was messy from sleep and an imprint from her stud earring scarred her cheek.

Norman wasn't sure if he should be angry with her or just thankful he didn't need to say it himself. Dipper didn't let things go easily and wasn't above withholding sex.

"I am not!" Dipper twisted in his seat to glower at the punk woman, but all she did was blink lazily. "I'd like to remind everyone here once again that I passed my driver's test! They don't just hand licenses out!"

"They do if you keep coming back long enough. How many times did you take the test again?" Coraline smirked, sensing an early victory, and poked Dipper on the nose. "And let's not forget about your Grunkle Stan."

Dipper batted her hand away, scowling. "It doesn't matter how many times I took the test. I passed. That has nothing to do with Grunkle Stan." He stuck out his tongue (because, you know, he's mature like that), his scowl deepening when Norman snorted at the picture he made. Crossed arms, lopsided hat, and narrowed eyes - nothing was more adorable than an angry Dipper.

"Got something to say, Babcock?" Dipper snapped. He raised an eyebrow challengingly.

"No, no…" Norman mumbled, gaze locked on the open road.

Coraline coughed, "Whipped," under her breath and laughed when both Norman and Dipper glared at her. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. Dipper, you never thought it was odd that you passed only when Stan came with you?"

"No…" Dipper eyed her warily, as though she might attack him. She had that wicked gleam in her eyes that made all SPIRIT team members nervous.

Coraline looked down and nudged something in the backseat. "Yo, Pines. Tell Dipper what you told me."

Mabel pulled herself into an upright position, half of her brown hair pressed flat against her face. "What'dda say again?" She stretched her arms above her head, bones cracking, and leaned on Coraline.

Coraline poked her again. "About Dipper's driving test and what Grunkle Stan did."

"Oh…" Mabel blinked, as if she couldn't believe she'd be woken just for that, and laid back down. "Grunkle Stan bribed the instructor to bump up Dipping Sauce's grade. Said he'd get better with time."

"Wait, Grunkle Stan cheated for me?" Dipper gaped at the space where his twin used to be, but it was Coraline who spoke next.

"Yep. So, you're technically not even legal." She grinned, her white teeth flashing unsettlingly in the darkness.

Dipper abruptly turned to Norman. "Did you know about this?" He demanded.

Norman winced slightly. "Uh, well…"

"You did, you jerk! Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? Mabel just told me one day and...I don't know…" He bit his lip ring, like he always did when he was unsure. Dipper always thought he looked unfairly cute for a guy with two face piercings, multiple tattoos, and hedgehog hair.

"Gee, maybe 'Your license isn't valid?'"

"And you would've accepted it? Just like that?"

"Well-"

"Would you two shut up?" Mabel groaned from the back seat. Coraline simply watched them bicker with a small, amused smirk.

And they still had two and a half hours to go…

…

When Dipper, Norman, Mabel, and Coraline reached Newmen only two of them were fully conscious. Norman and Dipper looked more like zombies than humans. Thankfully, Sharpe wasn't expecting them for a few more hours so they got a hotel room to nap.

"A bed…" Norman collapsed face down on the bed still fully clothed. Dipper soon followed with his own muffled groan of appreciation after kicking off his Chucks. The two boys curled into each other, uncaring of their previous mini spat. They were just too tired to care at the moment, especially Norman who hadn't slept in just about twenty-four hours.

Coraline and Mabel took one look at their fellow teammates and smirked at each other. Mabel snuck a quick picture with her phone (titled Cutie Patooties), and then they both left for food and more research on the house.

Dipper and Norman fell asleep almost instantaneously, completely unaware of what laid ahead.

**AN: I've sorta created my own little world were Parapines in canon and Mabel/Dipper/Coraline/Norman have founded a paranormal group called SPIRIT and they go around solving mysteries. Most likely, any small oneshot will take place in this world, though I have been creating AU stories too.**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, you're here!" Sharpe dashed down the driveway where Norman parked SPIRIT's van, arms waving wildly. "Thank you, thank you…" He stepped in front of the drivers side door and shook Norman's hand rather forcefully. Norman tried not to grimace at the clammy texture.

"Hello, Mr. Sharpe." Dipper stood next to Norman, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Dipper smiled as charmingly as he could at the nervous man and reached to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Dipper Pines. We spoke on the phone."

"Yes, yes, yes…" Sharpe dropped Dipper's hand and ran his fingers through his comb over. His thick glasses were knocked askew and his beige jacket only zipped halfway. For some reason, he didn't have a southern accent even though he appeared to live in Georgia.

"I'm Coraline." Coraline took her place next to Dipper, her hip cocked to the side and arms crossed over her ample chest.

"Mabel here," Mabel chirped from Coraline's side, flashing a 'I-had-braces-for-years' smile. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she wore a thick, homemade sweater, seemingly unaffected by the heat.

Dipper loved seeing their customers' expressions when they first showed up. A tattooed and pierced psychic guy with hair that literally stood straight up. Another male with shaggy brown hair and scraped knees, who still had a baby face (Grr…). An identical looking girl wearing an oversized sweater that almost reached her knees. Then there was Coraline, with her uneven blue hair, multiple piercings and tattoos, and a stance that said she could take on the world.

Yeah. The reactions were great.

"So…" Dipper clapped his hands, trying to smile reassuringly at Sharpe. "Why don't we take a little look at your ghost problem?"

"Here." The man tossed Dipper a set of keys. Dipper scrambled to catch them, grumbling at his friends' laughter. He glared at them all quickly before turning back to Mr. Sharpe.

"Are you not coming with us?"

Mr. Sharpe shook his head so fast Dipper worried about whiplash. He wiped at his forehead, even though it was at most seventy degrees. "I won't go into that house again. Sorry, but I'm sure you can figure everything out."

"Course we can!" Mabel beamed at the man and gave a mock-salute. "We'll take care of everything!" Her hands rested on her hips in a superhero pose, unaware of her fellow team members' eye rolls.

"Right…" Mr. Sharpe chuckled nervously and threw his thumb over his shoulder. "Then I'll just leave you to it. Call me when you're finished." His lips pulled away from his teeth in a parody of a smile, cast one odd look at the house behind him, and scooted past them down the street. Dipper, Mabel, and Coraline watched him leave, each with different reactions. Dipper was intrigued at Sharpe's avoidance. Mabel thought he was nice. Coraline sensed danger on the horizon and seemed to enjoy it.

Norman, however, kept his stare on the house. It was painted white, but had faded over time to a weird brown-gray. Thin vines snuck up the walls like snakes, and appeared to be the only vegetation on the property. The windows were dark.

"You okay?"

Norman glanced down at Dipper, who was gazing at him in obvious concern. Norman tried to smile and tapped the bill of Dipper's pine tree hat. "Yeah, I'm good. Just hoping to see something."

"Well, we're not gettin' any younger." Coraline straightened and smirked at her friends. "I say we take a look."

Gripping the keys tighter, Dipper shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I mean, that's what we came here for." He turned back to Norman, smiling slightly. "You want to use the equipment immediately or see what you can without it?"

Norman's blue eyes swept over the house again, but he still didn't see anything. This meant two things: either the ghost wasn't near any of the windows or it was powerful enough to stay invisible even to Norman. His teeth tugged at his lip ring. "...Let's leave the equipment for now. If it's Benjamin like you think it is, Dipper, it might scare him."

"Okay." Dipper glanced back at the girls. "Since we're just taking a look, do you guys want to come in to? Or ya want to wait?"

Mabel looped her arm through Coraline's, grinning, while Coraline glared as if Dipper had just personally offended her. "Of course we're coming," They chorused.

Dipper rolled his eyes, while Norman snickered. "Fine, then. Just making sure." He leaned more into Norman's side and gestured forward with the keys. "Let's go ghost hunting."

Norman laid his tattooed arm across Dipper's shoulders as they headed up the barren lawn to the porch. Mabel and Coraline followed closely. When they climbed the creaking steps Norman suddenly froze.

"What?" Dipper whispered, eyes automatically sweeping over the area, even though he knew he wouldn't see anything. He reached for Norman's hand and squeezed. "What do you see?" Coraline and Mabel stayed silent, both watching the boys carefully.

"Nothing," Norman murmured, squeezing Dipper's hand back. "It's just...I don't know. There's pressure here. I feel like a hand is pushing me into the ground."

"Do you want to stop…?"

"No." Norman took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he stared at the house's front door. "Let's just do this."

Dipper simply nodded and stepped forward to unlock the door with the keys Mr. Sharpe had given. He turned the handle and pushed, hinges screaming in protest. The SPIRIT team exchanged looks before Dipper shuffled into the entrance, Norman behind him.

The staircase greeted Dipper first. It curved slightly, and appeared to be sturdy enough to use, if not a little rickety. To his left laid what he guessed to be a sitting room. To his right, a dusty, open space that held a long, wooden table. A dining room, maybe?

"Whoa, we could play hide-and-seek in here all day!" Mabel gaped, brown eyes wide with childish delight. She clapped her hands together, unknowingly sending pieces of glitter to the floor from her painted nails.

"Just avoid any small doors, okay?" Coraline smirked at her friend, an odd gleam in her eyes.

The other team members mumbled their agreements, each lost in the manor. Norman continued to search for the entity they were looking for, but couldn't see even a flicker in the corner of his eye. The pressure was still there, though. It buzzed just over his skin, raising the hairs on his arms and ringing in his ears. He could tell there was something here, he just couldn't see it.

"Maybe we should split up?" Dipper suggested, his voice echoing slightly. He still hadn't let go of Norman's hand.

"Sure." Coraline nodded and looped her arm through Mabel's. "We'll take the downstairs and see where we can set up our base."

Mabel beamed and winked at the boys. "Don't get to occupied upstairs. If we hear thumping we'll know what's goin' on." She swung her hips saucily, snickering at both their blushes.

Coraline snorted. "Right. Anyway, go see if you can find our ghost while we set up." Her and Mabel headed to the right, soon disappearing down a hall Dipper hadn't noticed.

Dipper turned to Norman, eyes narrowed with obvious concern. "You sure you're okay? You're awfully quiet."

"Mh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just listening." His lips quirked in a lopsided grin as he tugged on Dipper's hand. "Come on, let's go upstairs." They both treaded lightly, but their footsteps still creaked and moaned. Dipper tried not to let it get to him.

Luckily, it was the afternoon and the windows weren't boarded shut, so they had enough light to see by without flashlights. Norman lead the way upstairs (as he was the one who could actually see these things), while Dipper followed closely, one hand on the dusty banister. If Norman were to be pushed (it's happened before; damn poltergeists) then he'd crash into Dipper and Dipper would hopefully have enough grip to keep them on the stairs.

They didn't speak, even when they reached the landing. They knew each other's routine by now: both needed quiet to work. Norman would look and listen for any actual ghosts, and Dipper would search for any other evidence. Just in case it wasn't a spirit, or even if it was then he could learn more information about said spirit.

Wordless, Norman turned to the left and stopped. Dipper did so as well. Norman frowned and called out, "Hello?"

Silence.

They both waited for a few moments for whatever Norman had called out to. Unsurprisingly, no one said anything back or popped into existence. Dipper was about to ask Norman if they should move on when Norman abruptly strode down the hall and entered one of the rooms. Dipper went to follow, but froze when something caught his eye. He stopped outside one of the open doorways and gazed inside what seemed to be a bedroom. Propped against the wall facing the door where Dipper stood was a painting. A boy sat in an ornate chair with a man looming behind him. When Dipper looked closer he noticed who they were - Benjamin and his father, Eric.

"Huh." Dipper stepped inside the room to examine the painting better and crouched in front of it. From what he could tell, it was an oil painting and wasn't done by a known artist. Benjamin was ten at the oldest, and wore a suit with a necktie. Eric himself had something very similar, but instead had a cravat rather than a black ribbon.

There was something else Dipper couldn't put his finger on. It appeared to be a normal 19th century painting, though Dipper had a feeling he was missing something important. His brown eyes trailed over the two male forms again, his mind almost itching.

Eric stared back at him stoically. His hands rested on his son's shoulders. Benjamin...Benjamin was...terrified. Like a missing puzzle piece, Benjamin's expression suddenly slammed into Dipper. At first, he appeared almost as unemotional as his father, but when Dipper looked closer he could see the barely hidden terror in his oddly shaped eyes. Eyes like Norman's.

Thud!

Dipper shot to his feet and dashed out of the room to where he'd seen Norman go. He stumbled into a similar room and yelped, "Norman!"

Norman had his back to him, gazing out a window that showed the front lawn. He didn't speak, even when Dipper called his name again.

Dipper shuffled into the room more, eyes locked on Norman's back. "Norm? Dude, something's going on." He maneuvered around the bed and reached out to grab Norman's shoulder hesitantly.

And with sudden, intense clarity Dipper knew this wasn't Norman.

Norman looked at Dipper with green eyes, not his own baby blue, and smirked at Dipper's stricken expression. "Hello." HIs voice was deeper and had a southern accent - definitely not his Norman.

"Who are you?" Dipper stumbled backwards, back of his knees hitting the bed. Almost like his Norman would, Not-Norman grabbed Dipper's arm before he could fall.

"I'm sure you know by now. Can you not guess?" Not-Norman chuckled lowly, grip on Dipper's arm tightening.

Dipper swallowed. "You-you're Eric Johnson." He recognized those cold, green eyes. But he hadn't known Norman could get possessed, it hadn't happened before.

"Such a clever boy," Johnson cooed mockingly, and trailed a cold finger over Dipper's cheek. "And so...pretty…" He stepped forward, his knees brushing Dipper's lower thighs due to Norman's height.

Dipper swallowed, unable to look away from those green eyes, so wrong on Norman's face. The back of his legs hit the antique bed and caused him to stumble, but once again Not-Norman stopped his fall.

Johnson leaned into Dipper, close enough that his dry breath fluttered Dipper's eyelashes. Dipper stood frozen, completely unsure on how to proceed. Normanly, he'd whip out the few self-defense lessons he'd had, but this thing was in Norman's body. He couldn't hurt him. He wouldn't. There had to be another way.

Johnson abruptly shoved Dipper, effectively knocking him off balance. He landed on the bed and within less than a second Johnson had straddled Dipper's chest, pushing him into the mattress. Dipper forced himself to breathe with Not-Norman's weight on his lungs and the smirk aimed his way. "I have not experienced human touch in years…" Johnson dragged a hand over Dipper's neck; Dipper forced himself to remain still.

"This isn't you, Norman." Dipper spoke as evenly as he could and stared into Not-Norman's eyes. "Fight him. Push him out."

Johnson's smirk widened, and his hand on Dipper's chest curled into a claw that dug into Dipper's skin. "Will it be his name you call out, boy? Will that be the name on your pretty lips…" Johnson's hand moved to Dipper's mouth. Dipper swallowed. "You almost remind me of my boy. He was a stringbean like yourself." Johnson bit the side of Dipper's neck. On instinct, Dipper flinched and drove his elbow into Not-Norman's side.

Johnson grunted. He tried to grab Dipper's hands, but Dipper twisted his hips and managed to roll Johnson off of him. He sprang to his feet and ran out of the room, Johnson on his heels.

"Mabel! Coraline!" Dipper screamed as he raced down the hallway. What to do, what to do? He didn't carry weapons and if he did he still couldn't hurt Norman. Coraline yelled his name. Dipper heard her and Mabel's pounding footsteps coming up the stairs.

"You think you can run from me, boy?" Johnson laughed harshly. Using Norman's long legs, he jumped on Dipper's back and they both went crashing to the floor. Once again, Johnson was on top of him. "Nobody runs from me." The sound of a belt being undone. A bite on the back of Dipper's neck.

Dipper struggled underneath Not-Norman's weight. The dusty carpet watered his eyes. His arms were trapped beneath him. "Please, Norman, stop. Listen to me. Please…"

Another laugh.

"Please, Norman…"

"HEY!" Coraline's voice. And then, the body holding Dipper spasmed and the sound of crackling electricity filled the air. Dipper jerked away from the thrashing body. Not-Norman writhed on the floor, almost choking, while Coraline glared from near the stairs and holding a taser. Mabel rushed to Dipper and crouched in front of him. She ran her hands along his arms, worried eyes scanning for injuries.

"Stop," Dipper whispered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Stop!" He shuffled forward and landed next to Norman, who was still shaking from leftover electricity. Coraline tucked her taser gun into the back of her jeans and watched from a distance, cautious.

Dipper placed Norman's head in his lap and tried to keep him still. "Easy...hey, Norman, you back with me…"

Norman groaned. But to Dipper's relief, when Norman's eyes opened they were his own blue.

"You alright, buddy?" Mabel asked from Dipper's side.

Norman groaned again. "I feel like I've just been tasered."

Coraline coughed.


End file.
